Is it politically correct to talk about the differences in B2B marketing to men vs. women? Maybe not, but working with a new client this past week revealed an important element that should be included on a marketing and CRM database….

I am happy to have found your blog via MENG’s “Recommended” list! I don’t have a feel for that 5% social media number, but can attest without reservation that there is absolutely another B2B marketing topic that is of interest: “sales messaging,” or the conversational skills and strategies that salespeople have in the B2B world.

I spend much of my consulting time doing projects with a firm called DSG Consulting. Nearly half of our engagements these days concern messaging — working with B2B marketing and sales leaders and teams to help them identify their prospects, hone the words they use and train them in tools such as using a whiteboard. During the last 12 months I’ve personally worked on messaging engagements for clients in healthcare, software, cybersecurity, IT outsourcing and web analytics. There is a healthy market for these services because (1) B2B companies need competent sales forces in order to sell high-dollar solutions, (2) most have cut headcount and marketing support to the bone, and (3) the efficiency of a company’s selling processes can be a real competitive advantage.

This might not be as sexy as social media, but it has the attention of marketing and sales leaders as well as many CEOs.

Jim